The Story of Rock's First Tragedy: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper Killed in Plane Crash REDDIT Hulton Archive, Getty Images Rock ‘n’ roll was still in its infancy when it suffered its first tragedy. On Feb. 3, 1959, three of its biggest stars — Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, known as the Big Bopper — were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The three acts, along with Dion and the Belmonts, were on a package tour called the Winter Dance Party, which was to play 24 Midwestern cities in as many days. But the bus’ heating system was ill-equipped and broke down a few days later, which caused some musicians to catch the flu and Holly’s drummer Carl Bunch to be hospitalized for frostbite. By the time they reached the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake on Feb. 2, about a week and a half into the tour, Holly, after the show, decided to charter a plane from nearby Mason City to Fargo, N.D., just across the state line from their next gig in Moorhead, Minn.

As a bonus, Holly would be able to do his laundry, which had been neglected since the tour began. The plane, a Beechwood Bonanza, had room for only three passengers — Holly and his band — and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Holly’s bass player, future country legend Waylon Jennings , gave up his seat to Richardson, who was ill. According to Jennings’ autobiography, Holly teased his bass player by saying, “Well, I hope your ol’ bus freezes up.” To which Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” There are conflicting stories as to how Valens wound up in the third seat. Tommy Allsup, Holly’s guitarist, claimed that he lost a coin flip to Valens in the dressing room. In 2010, Dion DiMucci, who had been silent about that night for 51 years, claimed that he, not Allsup, was slated for the third seat because he was one of the headliners. But after winning the coin toss, he balked at paying $36 for the flight — the amount his parents paid in monthly rent for the apartment where he grew up — and gave Valens the seat.

Local DJ Bob Hale, who was the MC for the concert, agrees that it was between Allsup and Valens, but that he, not Allsup, flipped the coin. Regardless of the contradictions, around 12:55AM on Feb. 3, the plane carrying Holly, Richardson and Valens took off in a snowstorm with strong winds. But the plane traveled only a few miles before crashing, killing all four men instantly. The federal investigation ruled that even though the weather played a large role in the accident, the 21-year-old Peterson was too inexperienced to have been flying in such conditions. In addition, he had most likely misread the altitude indicator, which was different than the one on which he had trained, and inadvertently brought the plane down instead of up. At the time, Holly’s wife of six months, Maria Elena, was two weeks pregnant. The day after the crash, she suffered a miscarriage from the emotional trauma. In March 1980, a long-missing piece of the plane crash was discovered. Holly’s signature black-rimmed glasses had landed in a snow bank and were discovered in the spring of 1959, after the snow melted.

They were brought to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s office, sealed in a manila envelope and forgotten about for 21 years. Upon discovery, the glasses were returned to his widow and are currently on permanent display at the Buddy Holly Center in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Rockers Who Died at Age 27 Image of The Day the Music Died| FiftiesWeb The Day the Music Died The Day the Music Died The Day the Music Died February 3, 1959 On a cold winter’s night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made its destination. When that plane crashed, it claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Three of Rock and Roll’s most promising performers were gone. As Don McLean wrote in his classic music parable, American Pie, (annotated) it was “the day the music died.” Performing in concert was very profitable and Buddy Holly needed the money it provided.

“The Winter Dance Party Tour” was planned to cover 24 cities in a short 3 week time frame (January 23 – February 15) and Holly would be the biggest headliner. Waylon Jennings, a friend from Lubbock, Texas and Tommy Allsup would go as backup musicians. Ritchie Valens, probably the hottest of the artists at the time, The Big Bopper, and Dion and the Belmonts would round out the list of performers. The tour bus developed heating problems. It was so cold onboard that reportedly one of the drummers developed frostbite riding in it. When they arrived at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, they were cold, tired and disgusted. Buddy Holly had had enough of the unheated bus and decided to charter a plane for himself and his guys. At least he could get some laundry done before the next performance! That night at the Surf Ballroom was magical as the fans went wild over the performers. Jiles P. Richardson, known as The Big Bopper to his fans, was a Texas D.J. who found recording success and fame in 1958 with the song Chantilly Lace.

Richie Valenzuela was only 16 years old when Del-Fi record producer, Bob Keane, discovered the Pacoima, California singer. Keane rearranged his name to Ritchie Valens, and in 1958 they recorded Come On, Let’s Go. Far more successful was the song Valens wrote for his girlfriend, Donna, and its flip side, La Bamba, a Rock and Roll version of an old Mexican standard. This earned the teenager an appearance on American Bandstand and the prospect of continued popularity. Charles Hardin “Buddy” Holley (changed to Holly due to a misspelling on a contract) and his band, The Crickets, had a number one hit in 1957 with the tune That’ll Be The Day. This success was follwed by Peggy Sue and an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. By 1959, Holly had decided to move in a new direction. He and the Crickets parted company. Holly married Maria Elena Santiago and moved to New York with the hope of concentrating on song writing and producing. Dwyer Flying Service got the charter. $36 per person for a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza.

No, the plane wasn’t named American Pie. It only had serial numbers, N3794N. Waylon Jennings gave his seat up to Richardson, who was running a fever and had trouble fitting his stocky frame comfortably into the bus seats. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn’t going to fly, he said, “Well, I hope your old bus freezes up.” Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your plane crashes.” This friendly banter of friends would haunt Jennings for years. Allsup told Valens, I’ll flip you for the remaining seat. On the toss of a coin, Valens won the seat and Allsup the rest of his life. The plane took off a little after 1 A.M. from Clear Lake and never got far from the airport before it crashed, killing all onboard. A cold N.E wind immediately gave way to a snow which drastically reduced visibility. The ground was already blanketed in white. The pilot may have been inexperienced with the instrumentation. One wing hit the ground and the small plane corkscrewed over and over. The three young stars were thrown clear of the plane, leaving only pilot Roger Peterson inside.

Over the years there has been much speculation as to whether a shot was fired inside the plane which disabled or killed the pilot. Logic suggests that encased in a sea of white snow, with only white below, Peterson just flew the plane into the ground. Read this very beautiful poem about the crash Webmaster’s note: In March of 2007 the body of J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson was exhumed at the request of his son, Jay Richardson. Dr. Bill Bass, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Tennessee, looked at the remains in Beaumont, Texas. A gun that belonged to Buddy Holly was found at the crash site, fueling rumors that the pilot was shot and perhaps Richardson survived the crash and was trying to get help. “I was hoping to put the rumors to rest,” the son Richardson said. Bass took X-rays of the body and found nothing to support those theories. Richardson had “fractures from head to toe. Massive fractures. … (He) died immediately.” Music 50s Buddy Holly Plane Crash Memorial in Iowa near Clear Lake, Iowa June 1, 2012 Below is a bit of reading about Buddy Holly's plane crash.

If you aren't into reading history, please scroll down the page for photos, the sub-menu, and for other navigational options. - On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa killed 3 American rock & roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. The Big Bopper Richardson, plus the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song American Pie. The Winter Dance Party tour was to cover 24 Midwestern cities in 3 weeks. The amount of travel was a problem with the tour as the distance between venues was not considered when scheduling each performance. Plus the tour bus was not equipped for the weather and its heating system broke shortly after the tour began. Holly's drummer, Carl Bunch, was hospitalized in Michigan with a severe case of frostbitten feet that developed when the bus broke down en route to Wisconsin. Holly's group was the backing band for all of the acts, so Holly, Valens and Dion DiMucci (of Dion and the Belmonts) took turns playing drums for each other at the Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Clear Lake, Iowa, shows.

The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa was not a stop on the tour, but promoters called the Surf Ballroom manager and offered him the show. The show was set for February 2. When Buddy Holly arrived at the Surf Ballroom that Monday evening, he was frustrated with the tour bus. Holly told his remaining band mates, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup, that they should charter a plane to save time and to avoid the cold bus ride of 380 miles to the tour's next stop: Moorhead, Minnesota. Flight arrangements were made with Roger Peterson, a 21-year-old local pilot. A fee of $36 per passenger was charged for the single-engine 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza 35 which could seat three in addition to the pilot. Richardson developed a case of flu during the tour and asked Waylon Jennings for his seat on the plane. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said in jest, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up" and Jennings responded, also in jest, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes". This exchange of words would haunt Jennings for the rest of his life.

Ritchie Valens asked Tommy Allsup for his seat on the plane. Tommy said "I'll flip ya for the remaining seat". Valens won the coin toss and a seat on the flight. The plane left at 12:55 AM Central Time on February 3. There was a light snowfall with winds out of the south at 20 knots, gusting to 30 knots and a cloud ceiling of 3,000 feet above the ground. The ceiling had dropped by 2,000 feet in the previous hour. Though there were indications of deteriorating weather along the route, the weather briefings that Peterson received failed to relay the information. Hubert Dwyer, owner of the plane, watched from outside the tower and "saw the tail light of the aircraft gradually descend until out of sight" just after 1:00 AM. Peterson earlier told Dwyer he would file a flight plan with Air Traffic Control by radio after takeoff. When Peterson did not call in the flight plan, Dwyer requested that they attempt to establish radio contact, but all attempts were unsuccessful. By 3:30 AM, Dwyer contacted authorities and reported the aircraft missing.

Around 9:15 AM, Dwyer took off in his own Cessna 180 to fly Peterson's intended route. Within minutes he spotted the wreckage less than 6 miles northwest of the airport in a cornfield. The Bonanza was at a slight downward angle & banked heavily to the right when it struck the ground at 170 mph. The plane tumbled and skidded another 570 feet across the frozen landscape before the crumpled wreckage came to rest against a wire fence. The bodies of Holly and Valens lay near the plane, Richardson was thrown over the fence and into the another cornfield, and Peterson's body remained inside the plane's wreckage. The county coroner declared that all four had died instantly from gross trauma to the brain. Investigators concluded that the crash was due to poor weather conditions and pilot error, resulting in spatial disorientation. Peterson was still taking flight instrumentation tests and was not yet certified for flight into weather that would have required operation of the aircraft solely by reference to his instruments rather than by means of his own vision.

They also concluded that Peterson was not given adequate warnings about the weather conditions of his route, which might have caused him to postpone the flight out of prudence. A large plasma-cut-steel set of Wayfarer-style glasses, similar to those which Holly was known for wearing, sits at the access point to the crash site. The below photo is stuff fans have left under the large glasses shown above. Lee Duquette ready to walk about one-half mile to the site of the plane crash. In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the 1950s era, erected a stainless steel monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers. The monument is located on private farmland, about 1/4 mile west of 315th St. & Gull Ave. five miles north of Clear Lake in Iowa. Below are close-up photos of the various items that make up this memorial to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. this contraption spins around and around In February 2009, a new memorial made by Paquette for pilot Roger Peterson was unveiled at the crash site.

The below photo is stuff fans left by the memorial - including a guitar pick, coins, shoes, jars, eye glasses, pens, rocks, crayons, a Buddy Holly dog tag, a bracelet, plastic flowers, a ball cap, a green stuffed animal and more. A road originating near The Surf Ballroom and extending north past the west of the crash site is now known as Buddy Holly Place Paquette also created a similar stainless steel monument to the three musicians located outside the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Holly, the Big Bopper and Valens played on the night of February 1, 1959. This second memorial was unveiled on July 17, 2003. Below are more sections of the adventures of the two RV Gypsies in Iowa. You may view them in any order you wish. The page you are on cannot be chosen from here.

Today in History: February 3, 1959 The death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” Today in History: February 3, 1959 The death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” Posted on February 3, 2013 by Art “The Day the Music Died” On February 3, 1959, rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed, along with the pilot Roger Peterson, when their plane went down during a snowstorm shortly after takeoff near Mason City, Iowa. The aviation accident is often referred to as “The Day the Music Died”, dubbed so by Don McLean’s song “American Pie”. Buddy Holly The rockers were part of the Winter Dance Party, a three-week tour across the Midwest opening on January 23, 1959. The tour also included Dion and the Belmonts, and was to cover 24 Midwestern cities in as many days.

A few days into the tour the performers started to become adversely affected by the distance between venues, the mid-west winter, and the poorly equipped, unheated tour buses. Cases of flu spread among the band members, and Holly’s drummer, Carl Bunch, was hospitalized in Ironwood, Michigan for severely frostbitten feet. On February 2, the tour arrived in Clear Lake, Iowa, where they were to play at the Surf Ballroom. The venue had not been a scheduled stop, but the tour promoters, hoping to fill an open date, called Surf Ballroom manager Carroll Anderson and offered him the show. He accepted and they set the show for Monday, February 2. By the time Holly arrived at the venue that Monday evening, he was frustrated by the conditions and decided to charter a plane to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota. Carroll Anderson, owner of the Surf Ballroom, chartered the plane from the Dwyer Flying Service.

Originally, Holly and two members of his band, Tommy Allsup (guitar) and future country music legend Waylon Jennings (bass), were to take the flight to Moorhead, but Richardson, who was affected by the flu, swapped places with Waylon Jennings, taking his place on the plane. Tommy Allsup lost his place to Ritchie Valens on a coin toss. Dion DiMucci (of Dion and the Belmonts fame) was also offered a seat but decided not to board the plane since the $36 fare (approximately $270 in today’s money) equaled the monthly rent his parents paid for his childhood apartment and he could not justify the indulgence. When Holly learned that Jennings was not going to fly, he said in jest, “I hope your ol’ bus freezes up.” Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes,” a humorous but ill-fated response that haunted Jennings for the rest of his life. Photo of the plane wreckage that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. ‘Big Bopper’ Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson when it went down just outside Mason City, Iowa. Feb.

3, 1959 Ritchie Valens When the show ended, Carroll Anderson drove Holly, Valens, and Richardson to the airport. The plane departed from the ramp and taxied to then-Runway 17 at around 12:55 am Central Time on Tuesday, February 3 and took off. The results of the CAB investigation suggest that, soon after takeoff, Peterson became disoriented due to the unfamiliar way the attitude indicator in the aircraft functioned, combined with an inability to find a point of visual reference on a starless night with no visible lights on the ground. He lost control of the plane when the tip of the right wing hit the ground. The aircraft tumbled across a bean field belonging to Albert Juhl. The Bonanza was at a slight downward angle and banked heavily to the right when it struck the ground at around 170 miles per hour. The plane tumbled and skidded another 570 feet across the frozen landscape before the crumpled wreckage came to rest against a wire fence at the edge of Juhl’s property. Photo of the plane wreckage that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P.

‘Big Bopper’ Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson when it went down just outside Mason City, Iowa on Feb. 3, 1959 J. P. ‘The Big Bopper’ Richardson Hubert Dwyer, the owner of the plane and the flight service company, who had witnessed the takeoff, decided to establish radio contact, but all attempts were unsuccessful. The next morning, when Hector Airport in Fargo, North Dakota, had not heard from Peterson, Dwyer contacted authorities and reported the aircraft missing. Dwyer took off in his Cessna 180 and flew Peterson’s intended route. Within minutes he spotted the wreckage less than 6 miles northwest of the airport. The Sheriff’s office dispatched Deputy Bill McGill, who drove to the wreck site. The bodies of Holly and Valens lay near the plane. Richardson’s body was thrown over the fence and into the cornfield of Juhl’s neighbor Oscar Moffett. Peterson’s body was entangled in the plane’s wreckage.

With the other participants on “The Winter Dance Party” en route to Moorhead, it fell to Surf Ballroom manager Carroll Anderson, who drove the musicians to the airport and witnessed the plane’s takeoff, to make positive identifications of the musicians. The county coroner Ralph Smiley declared that all four had died instantly from “gross trauma” to the brain. Investigators look over the site of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Jp ‘Big Bopper’ Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson on Feb. 3, 1959 Buddy Holly’s wife of six months, María Elena who was also pregnant, watched the first reports of his death on television. She miscarried the next day, reportedly due to psychological trauma. Holly’s mother, who heard the news on the radio in Lubbock, Texas, collapsed. Because of María Elena’s miscarriage, the authorities, in the months following, implemented a policy against announcing victims’ names until after families are informed. María Elena Holly did not attend the funeral, and has never visited the gravesite. She later told the Avalanche-Journal: “In a way, I blame myself. I was not feeling well when he left.

I was two weeks pregnant, and I wanted Buddy to stay with me, but he had scheduled that tour. It was the only time I wasn’t with him. And I blame myself because I know that, if only I had gone along, Buddy never would have gotten into that airplane.” Monument to Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. Richardson at the crash site, September 16, 2003. In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the 1950s era, erected a stainless steel monument that depicts a guitar and a set of three records that bear the names of each of the three performers. The monument is on private farmland, about one quarter of a mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, five miles north of Clear Lake. A large plasma-cut-steel set of Wayfarer-style glasses, similar to those Holly wore, sits at the access point to the crash site. In February 2009, a new memorial made by Paquette for pilot Roger Peterson was unveiled at the crash site.

A road originating near The Surf Ballroom and extending north past the west of the crash site is now known as Buddy Holly Place. A roadside sign in the form of Buddy Holly’s glasses, located close to the location where he was killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The Day The Music Died | THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED 50 YEARS AGO… | Flickr The Day The Music Died THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED 50 YEARS AGO TODAY! from Wikipedia On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, United States killed three American rock and roll musicians: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean in his 1971 song "American Pie".[1][2] EVENTS LEADING TO THE CRASH "The Winter Dance Party" was a tour that was set to cover 24 Midwestern cities in three weeks. A logistical problem with the tour was the amount of travel, as the distance between venues was not a priority when scheduling each performance.

For example, the tour would start at venue A, travel 200 miles (320 km) to venue B, and travel back 170 miles (270 km) to venue C, which was only 30 miles (48 km) from venue A. Adding to the disarray, the tour bus used to carry the musicians was ill-prepared for the weather; its heating system broke shortly after the tour began. Drummer Carl Bunch developed a severe case of frostbitten feet while on the bus and was taken to a local hospital. As he recovered, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens took turns with the drums. The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa was never intended to be a stop on the tour, but promoters, hoping to fill an open date, called the manager of the ballroom at the time and offered him the show. He accepted and the date of the show was set for February 2. By the time Buddy Holly arrived at the ballroom that evening, he was frustrated with the tour bus and told his bandmates that, once the show was over, they should try to charter a plane to get to the next stop on the tour, Moorhead, Minnesota.

According to VH-1's Behind the Music: The Day the Music Died, Holly was also upset that he had run out of clean undershirts, socks, and underwear. He needed to do some laundry before the next performance, and the local laundromat in Clear Lake was closed that day. Flight arrangements were made with Roger Peterson, 21, a local pilot who worked for Dwyer Flying Service in Mason City, Iowa. A fee of $36 per person was charged for the single engine Beechcraft Bonanza B35 (V-tail), registration N3794N (later reassigned). The Bonanza could seat three passengers in addition to the pilot. Richardson had developed a case of the flu during the tour and asked one of Holly's bandmates, Waylon Jennings, for his seat on the plane; Jennings agreed to give up the seat.

When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up." Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes." This exchange of words, though made in jest at the time, haunted Jennings for the rest of his life.[3][4] Ritchie Valens had never flown in a small plane before, and asked Holly's remaining bandmate on the plane, Tommy Allsup, for the seat. Tommy said "I'll flip ya for the remaining seat." Contrary to what is seen in biographical movies, that coin toss did not happen at the airport shortly before takeoff, nor did Buddy Holly toss it. The toss happened at the ballroom shortly before departure to the airport, and the coin was tossed by a DJ who was working the concert that night. Valens won a seat on the plane.[3] Dion DiMucci of Dion & The Belmonts, who was the fourth headline performer on the tour, was approached to join the flight as well; however, the price of $36 was too much.

Dion had heard his parents argue for years over the $36 rent for their apartment and could not bring himself to pay an entire month's rent for a short plane ride.[5] THE CRASH At approximately 1:00 AM Central Time on February 3, the plane took off from Mason City Municipal Airport. Around 1:05, Jerry Dwyer, the owner of Dwyer Flying Service, could see the lights of the plane start to descend from the sky to the ground. At the time, he thought it was an optical illusion because of the curvature of the Earth and the horizon. The pilot, Roger Peterson, was expected to file his flight plan once the plane was airborne, but Peterson never called the tower. Repeated attempts by Dwyer to contact his pilot failed. By 3:30 AM, when the airport at Fargo had not heard from Peterson, Dwyer contacted authorities and reported the aircraft missing. Around 9:15 in the morning, Dwyer took off in another small plane to fly Peterson's intended route.

A short time later Dwyer spotted the wreckage in a cornfield belonging to Albert Juhl, about 5 miles northwest of the airport (43°13′12″N 93°23′0″WCoordinates: 43°13′12″N 93°23′0″W). The manager of the Surf Ballroom, who drove the performers to the airport and witnessed the plane taking off made the positive identification of the performers. The Bonanza was at a slight downward angle and banked to the right when it struck the ground at around 170 miles per hour (270 km/h). The plane tumbled and skidded another 570 feet (170 m) across the frozen landscape before the crumpled ball of wreckage piled against a wire fence at the edge of the property. The bodies of Holly and Valens lay near the plane, Richardson was thrown into a neighboring cornfield, and Peterson remained trapped inside. All four had died instantly from "gross trauma" to the brain, the county coroner Ralph Smiley declared. Holly's death certificate detailed the multiple injuries which show that he surely died on impact: The body of Charles H.

Holley was clothed in an outer jacket of yellow leather-like material in which 4 seams in the back were split almost full length. The skull was split medially in the forehead and this extended into the vertex region. Approximately half the brain tissue was absent. There was bleeding from both ears, and the face showed multiple lacerations. The consistency of the chest was soft due to extensive crushing injury to the bony structure. The left forearm was fractured 1/3 the way up from the wrist and the right elbow was fractured. Both thighs and legs showed multiple fractures. There was a small laceration of the scrotum. [6] In 2007, Richardson's son had an autopsy performed on his father to verify the original finding. In part this was done because of the long known discovery of Holly's .22 calibre pistol in the cornfield two months after the wreck, giving rise to the question of whether or not an accidental firearm discharge had caused the crash, and to whether Richardson had walked away from the wreckage because his body was found farther from it. William M. Bass undertook the procedure and confirmed Smiley's report.

The body of Richardson was in good preservation but showed "massive fractures" showing that he too had surely died on impact.[7][8] Investigators came to the conclusion that the crash was due to a combination of poor weather conditions and pilot error. Peterson had performed poorly on his previous flight instrumentation tests and was not rated for night-time flight, when he would have to rely on his instruments rather than his own vision. They also found that Peterson was not given accurate advice about the weather conditions of his route, which, given his known limitations, might have caused him to postpone the flight. Memorial In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the 1950s era, erected a stainless steel monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers.[9] The monument is located on private farmland, about one quarter of a mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, five miles north of Clear Lake.

He also created a similar stainless steel monument to the three musicians located outside the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Holly, the Big Bopper and Valens played on the night of February 1, 1959. This second memorial was unveiled on July 17, 2003.[10] In the video clip all three bodies of the musicians can be seen briefly and from a distance. ^ "1959: Buddy Holly killed in air crash". On This Day. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-11-02. ^ Thimou, Theodore (December 28, 2006). "Preview: The Twice-Famous Don McLean Plays Rams Head". Bay Weekly. Retrieved on 2008-09-11. ^ a b VH1's Behind the Music "The Day the Music Died" interview with Waylon Jennings ^ "Waylon’s Buddy: Jennings Never Forgot His Mentor". CMT. ^ "Dion the Wanderer, Back 'In Blue'". Fresh Air. NPR. ^ Ralph E. Smiley, M.D.. "Death Certificate language". Fiftiesweb.

Retrieved on 2009-01-30. ^ Bill Griggs. "Big Bopper Exhumation". Retrieved on January 30, 2009. ^ "Autopsy of 'Big Bopper' to Address Rumors About 1959 Plane Crash". Washington Post. January 18, 2007. ^ Scott Michaels. "The Death of Buddy Holly". Findadeath. Retrieved on 2009-01-30. ^ Jennifer Jordan (April 11, 2007). "The Day the Music Died". Articles Tree. Retrieved on 2009-01-30. [edit]References "Full text of the Civil Aeronautics Board Aircraft Accident Report on the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper". "Buddy Holly's Coroner's Report". February 4, 1959. "Coroner's investigation - Air crash, Feb. 3, 1959 - SW1/4 Section 18, Lincoln Twp. - Cerro Gordo County, Iowa".

"The Day the Music Died - February 3, 1959". [edit]Further reading Larry Lehmer (2004). The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens (illustrated ed.). Music Sales Group. ISBN 0825672872. Scott Schinder, Martin Huxley, Quinton Skinner (2000). The Day the Music Died (illustrated ed.). Pocket Books. ISBN 0671039628. Staton Rabin (2009). Oh Boy! The Life and Music of Rock 'n' Roll Pioneer Buddy Holly (ilustrated ed.). Van Winkle Publishing (Kindle). [edit]External links 'The day the music died'? Hardly - CNN.com 'The day the music died'?

Hardly Story Highlights Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper died February 3, 1959 Event has been called "the day the music died," but it's also day of life Commemorative events being held in Clear Lake, Iowa, musicians' last stop By Todd Leopold CNN (CNN) -- The facts are these: Just after 1 a.m. February 3, 1959, a three-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza went down about five miles northwest of Mason City Municipal Airport, near Clear Lake, Iowa. The plane crash took the lives of the pilot, Roger Peterson, and three musicians: Charles Hardin Holley, better known as Buddy Holly, 22; Ritchie Valens (originally Valenzuela), 17; and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, 28. The three young musicians were part of the "Winter Dance Party," a ramshackle tour that started in Wisconsin.

It has become famous, in Don McLean's "American Pie" formulation, as "the day the music died." The event has echoed through rock 'n' roll history for 50 years, representing, if not the end of rock 'n' roll itself, the close of an era, the end of the first bloom of rock anarchy and innovation. "It was like a curtain coming down," said Terry Stewart, president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which is co-hosting a series of events in Clear Lake for the anniversary, including classes putting the event in historical context. As they have for decades, visitors have been making the pilgrimage to the resort town about 110 miles north of Des Moines. On Monday night, the 50th anniversary of the trio's deaths, the city's Surf Ballroom and Museum will host a huge concert in conjunction with the Rock Hall.

Expected are luminaries including Graham Nash, whose 1960s British band was named for Holly; the Smithereens' Pat DiNizio, who wrote the song "Maria Elena" for Holly's widow; Los Lobos, who followed in the Hispanic-rock tradition begun by Valens; Texans Delbert McClinton and Joe Ely; and Tommy Allsup, who was a Holly sideman at the show 50 years ago. iReport: Do you remember this era of rock? Share your memories "The vision [for the Monday show] has always been that we go back to the roots," said Laurie Lietz, the Surf's executive director. "There were so many who were influenced by [the trio]. So the tribute concert is really a tribute to each individual." The Surf, which was refurbished in 1995 by a local family (it's now run by a foundation), includes the original stage, the telephone where Holly and Valens placed their last calls, guitars, photographs and a green room with hundreds of autographs. They all pay tribute to the last show for three men.

Don't Miss Surf Ballroom: 50 Winters Later Deseret News: The Winter Dance Party tour Holly, Valens and Richardson were part of the Winter Dance Party, a ramshackle tour that had started in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and headed to small cities in Minnesota and Iowa. The tour, which also included Dion and the Belmonts and members of Holly's backing band, had lumbered along in subfreezing temperatures in unheated buses; two days earlier, one bus had stalled out on a lonely Wisconsin road. By the time the group reached Clear Lake, Holly in particular was ready to bolt. "Buddy was very determined when he wanted something," said his widow, Maria Elena Holly, of her "otherwise laid-back" husband of six months. Listen to Maria Elena talk about Buddy Holly » He booked the plane to fly to Fargo, North Dakota, where he planned to rest up and do laundry in advance of the group's next concert in Moorhead, Minnesota, across the state line. Fargo native Bobby Vee, who remembers the tragedy vividly, acknowledges that he owes his career to the event. The then-high school sophomore named Robert Velline had come home for lunch and heard a local DJ talking about the Moorhead show.

"I had a ticket for the show. I was a huge Buddy Holly fan and a huge rock 'n' roll fan," he recalled, adding that a major rock 'n' roll concert in the area was a rarity. "As I got closer into the kitchen ... [my mother and brother] were talking about this plane crash that had taken place. I couldn't put it all together." But the promoter had decided to go on with the show and invited local bands to participate. Vee was in a garage band, and a friend suggested that they participate. The band, so loose it didn't even have a name, got on the bill. At the end of the night, a local booking agent approached them, and the Shadows (a name Vee came up with as they waited offstage) entered the music business. Vee's hits eventually included 1961's "Take Good Care of My Baby" and 1967's "Come Back When You Grow Up." "It changed my life," Vee said. "I was a 15-year-old. I'd never experienced that kind of tragedy.

I wasn't there to start a career -- I didn't know what a career was -- I was just there to help out, because that's what people do when there's a problem." Rock critic Dave Marsh also remembers hearing about the crash. "I went to the door of our little house in Pontiac, Michigan, and I picked up the newspaper, and ... it was the first thing I saw: Three rock 'n' roll guys dying in a plane crash," he says. "I was 9, but I had an aunt who was just seven years older than me and a mother who was an Elvis fan and who watched 'American Bandstand' every day. So I was aware. ... It was something to deal with, people that young dying." But, indicating the lack of esteem for rock 'n' roll at the time, it wasn't a major national news story. The New York Times put a plane crash on its February 4 front page, but it was an American Airlines flight that had crashed near LaGuardia Airport. The Clear Lake tragedy was on page 66. The same was true for other major newspapers.

iReport.com: How teens paid tribute to the trio "[Holly] really wasn't known to the older generation," said "Austin City Limits" executive producer and Holly aficionado Terry Lickona. "Even in his hometown [of Lubbock, Texas], they were embarrassed by him." The trio's deaths coincided with a period of dark events in rock 'n' roll history, including Elvis Presley's induction into the Army, Jerry Lee Lewis' blacklisting, the record industry payola scandals and Chuck Berry's Mann Act conviction, not to mention the rise of manufactured teen idols such as Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Partly thanks to McLean's lingering phrase, the ensuing years have been painted as a rock Dark Ages, rescued only by the Beatles' arrival in 1964 at the vanguard of the British Invasion. McLean: Buddy Holly was a genius Marsh says that canard, which he has refuted in "The Book of Rock Lists" and "The Heart of Rock and Soul," should be laid to rest once and for all. "I think what happened was that people weren't paying attention themselves and assumed no one else was, either," he said.

"I think it's also a way that glorifies the lack of stars [compared to rock's early days]. That was missing. ... I don't think Roy Orbison had quite the same stature." Which doesn't mean that the music of Orbison, Phil Spector, early Motown or Gary U.S. Bonds deserves to be overlooked, he added: "The quality of the music is undeniable." iReport.com: 'Buddy Holly' performs as final tour re-created What would have happened to the trio in that era is, of course, impossible to know. Valens, celebrated in the movie "La Bamba," was just starting his career and may have produced more hits; Richardson, a former DJ and radio program director who shot some rudimentary music videos, had shrewd entrepreneurial instincts. And then there's Holly, with his songwriting talent, his arranging abilities (he did the strings on "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," his last single) and sheer knowledge of music. Maria Elena Holly, who watches over his legacy, says Buddy had big plans: He wanted to do albums with Ray Charles and Mahalia Jackson; he wanted to try film music; he wanted to do music publishing.

"He was a multitasker in every way," she said. iReport.com: Musician discovered Buddy Holly through the Beatles Monday, he and the others will simply be remembered at the ballroom where it's always February 2, 1959, and they're putting on another great show. "When I come to these things, I don't think about [that] this is the last time I talked to him was from here. I think, I'm meeting the fans who have kept his memory alive," said Maria Elena Holly, who admits to getting "a little bit teary" when she hears "True Love Ways." "And that's really what Buddy wanted to happen with his music: He wanted people to enjoy the music, to listen to it and make them happy," she said. "And when I think of it that way, I think at least his dream came true."

Question: Who's missing? Roger Peterson, J. P. Richardson, Ritchie Valens?
Answer: Buddy Holly